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Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took a subtle dig at Pakistan's premier batter, Babar Azam, for his slow-paced fifty against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy opener on Wednesday in Karachi.
In pursuit of a daunting 321-run target, Pakistan were in a dire situation at 69/3 after losing Saud Shakeel, skipper Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman. Pakistan needed something significant and swift from its top star, Babar. However, to everyone's surprise, the 31-year-old's sluggish display took the defending champions away from the required target. While Babar scored runs at his leisure, vice-captain Salman Ali Agha raised the bar with his belligerent strokeplay. He went from strength to strength to give Pakistan a glimmer of hope, which eventually faded away. Ashwin took a dig at Babar's contribution during his 58-run partnership with Salman by comparing it to the "Tortoise and Rabbit story." "Babar's journey to 50 coupled with Salman Ali Agha's batting has to be the best depiction of "The Tortoise and Rabbit story" . #ChampionsTrophy," he wrote on X. Wickets kept falling, and the asking rate continued to surge to new heights. Khushdil Shah showed intent with his late surge, but his valiant 69(49) went in vain. The game crawled towards its climax, and Pakistan met its fate by crumbling to a 60-run defeat. As Pakistan swallowed the bitter taste of defeat, New Zealand celebrated yet another triumph over the hosts. The 60-run victory was the fourth successive triumph for the Kiwis against Pakistan in the CT on the trot. New Zealand's story of success ensured they never lost a match against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy. After enduring an emphatic defeat, the situation isn't looking too bright for Pakistan. Their next match against arch-rivals India on Sunday in Dubai could prove to be a virtual knockout. (ANI)
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